1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for opening and closing a discharge port, and an air conditioner having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An air conditioner is an apparatus configured to maintain a temperature of indoor air in a comfortable manner by use of a freezing cycle for suitable activities of a human being. A conventional air conditioner is capable of cooling or heating the air at the surroundings of a heat exchanger according to phase changes of a refrigerant that flows at an inside of the heat exchanger, and accordingly, by discharging the cooled or heated air to an indoor space, is also capable of properly maintaining the temperature of the indoor space.
The air conditioner as such is provided with a freezing cycle during which a refrigerant is configured to flow in a forward or backward direction through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The compressor is configured to provide a refrigerant in a state of gas at a high temperature and a high pressure, while the condenser is configured to provide a refrigerant in a state of liquid at a room temperature and a high pressure. The expansion valve is configured to decompress the refrigerant in a state of liquid at a room temperature and a high pressure, and the evaporator is configured to evaporate the decompressed refrigerant into a state of gas at a low temperature.
The air conditioner may be divided into a separate type air conditioner provided with an outdoor unit separately provided from an indoor unit, and an integrated type air conditioner provided with an outdoor unit integrally provided with an indoor unit. In a case of the separate type air conditioner provided with an outdoor unit separately provided from an indoor unit, in general, the compressor and the condenser, that is, an outdoor heat exchanger, are provided at the outdoor unit, while the evaporator, that is, an indoor heat exchanger, is provided at the indoor unit. A refrigerant may be able to flow through the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in a circulated manner through pipes connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.
A discharge port is provided at a front surface of the indoor unit, and the air having been subjected to heat exchange by the phase change of refrigerant may be discharged to an indoor space though the discharge port.